Delivery mechanism for printing-presses.



C. HENDERSON.

DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.24. 1914.

1,156,903. Patented 001.19, 1915.

CARL HENDERSON, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MIEHEE PRINTING PRESS8c MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS.

DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR PRINT'ING-PRESSES.

Application filed August 24, 1914. Serial No. 858,222.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL HENDERSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Delivery Mechanism forPrinting-Presses, of which the follow'-' ing is a specification.

The invention has for its object the provision of mechanism to effect adelivery of printed sheets from the impression cylinder to the pile offinished sheets in such a way as to insure the uniform stacking of thesame in'a vertical pile and to obviate the danger of offset or blurdueto the relative movement or shifting of one sheet upon another. 4

Ordinarily as each sheet is carried by the delivery mechanism to anddeposited upon the pile of sheets previously printed there is a tendencyof the sheet to sag at the last moment before it is released by thegripper of the delivery mechanism and to wipe over the freshly printedsurface of the-preceding sheet onv the pile, and it is for the purposeof avoiding this action of the delivery and causing the newly deliveredsheet to drop vertically into place on the top of the pile that thepresent invention is-designed.

In order that the invention and the manner of its operation may bereadily understood a preferred embodiment of the same is set forth inthe accompanying drawing and in the following description based thereon.The invention is, however, obviously susceptible of embodiment in otherand varied constructional forms wherefore the drawing and description.are to be construed in an illustrative and not in an unnecessarilylimiting sense. 7

In the drawingFigure 1 is a'diagrammatic representation of a printingpress assemblage including the invention; and Fig. 2 is an enlargeddetail cross section through the suction restraining device. I

In the drawing is set forth in a diagrammatic manner the impressioncylinder 11, the feedvboard 12, the bed plate 13, the delivery tape 14,and the delivery table 15, upon which latter the printed sheets aredeposited. In the form of delivery mechanism shown the tape 14 travelsabout the companion rollers 16 and 17 which are driven in unison by thesprocket chain 18 at Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915- a peripheral speed corresponding to that of thecylinder 11. The sheet 19 having received its impression from the formupon the bed 13 while upon the impression cyl inder 11, is released bythe grippers 2.0 and engaged by the grippers 21 which latter draw thesheet over the supporting slats 22 toward the delivery table 15.

As it is impracticable to extend the supporting slats 22 over the table15 so as to support the paper until it is finally released by thegrippers 21, the rear portion of the until it is finally released andpermitted todrop thereon I have provided a suction restraining devicewhich operates upon the trailing free portion of the sheet so as tomaintain the same taut. As illustrated this restraining device consistsof a suction pipe I 23 extending horizontally beneath the path of thesheet and having upon its upper face a longitudinal series of orifices24 through which suction generated by the exhaust device 25 is caused toact upon the sheet after it leaves the supporting slats, whereby thesame is maintained under tension as it is drawn forward by the grippers21. The suction pipe 23 is arranged adjacent that edge of the table 15which is nearest the impression cylinder and meansare provided tointerrupt the suction action upon the sheet at the instant following therelease of the sheet by the grippers 21. The interruption of the suctionaction takes place substantially simultaneously with the release of thesheet by the grippers but just sufliciently subsequent theretoto'overcome the momentum of the sheet and to permit it to dropvertically on to the pile after its release.

.. -L,Thedelivery mechanism thus far described is not of itself new butforms the subject matter of the co-pending application of another,Serial No. 800,016. In that case, however, mechanical means are employedto positively interrupt the suctlon in stant thereafter whereby themomentum of in adjusting .the sheet having been overcome by therestraint of the suction the latter was intermitted and the sheetallowed to drop by gravity on to the pile. In such form of constructiona difliculty has been experienced the cutting off of the suction withthe requisite nicety relative to the time of release of the sheet by thegrippers as to cause the sheet to be deposited in absolute register withthe preceding sheets, there. being manifested a tendency of the rear endof the sheet to remain at rest upon the suction pipe.

Accordingto the present arrangement the suction through the pipe is notcut ofi but its action upon the, sheet is interrupted by a travelingperforated cylindrical apron interposedbetween suction pipe and sheetand Ihoving with the latter whereby after the suction action upon thesheet is interrupted the latter is carried forward with the apron andcaused to fall free from the suction device on to the pile.

As illustrated the stationary suction pipe 23 has mounted thereon inclosely enveloping relation a cylindrical apron 25 provided withnumerous apertures 26. This apron may be of sheet metal or of wire clothand is caused to revolve about and in contact with the outer surface ofthe suction tube; 23 in any suitable manner as for instance by means ofa driven sprocket 27 secured to one end of the foraminous cylinder 25,the direction of rotation of the cyl inder being clock-wise as indicatedin the figure, or in the same general direction as the travel of thesheet and the speed of rotation being such as to impart a surface speedless than thatof the rate at which the sheet travels under the controlof the grippers 21. r

As the trailing portion of the sheet 19 is borne over the upper face ofthe suction device the suction acts thereon through the orifices 24c ofthe stationary pipe and those perforations 26 of the cylindrical apron25 which are at the moment between the sheet 19 and the orifices 24,successive perforations 26 being brought into play as the sheet and theapron advance. The location of the suction device is such relative tothe point of release by the grippers 25 under the action of thereleasing member 28 that the rearward edge of the sheet will clear thesuction openings of the tube 23 in the mo ment following the release ofthe forward edge of the sheet by the grippers'21 whereby the momentarilycontinued suction will overcome the momentum ofthe sheet and the forwardtravel of the apron 25 will cause the rear edge of the sheet to advancein a downward direction toward. the pile From the foregoing it will bereadily understood that the sheet of paper carried by the delivery tapeisretarded in its trailing operation and thus prevented from sagginginto contact with the pile of printed sheets over which it is passing;that in the instant following its release by the grippers of thedelivery mechanism the suction action upon its rear edge is likewiseinterrupted and the sheet is advanced and caused to drop accurately uponthe pile of previously printed sheets thus avoiding any blurring actiondue to wiping contact between the sheets and also insuring the stackingof the sheets 1n a uniform pile.

ll claim:

1; lfn a sheet delivery mechanism, the combination with traveling meansfor engaging the sheet, of a member having a perforate surface traversedby the sheet, means to cause suction through the perforate surface ofthe member, upon the sheet to exert re straining tension thereon, "andmeans to move the perforate member in the samegeneral direction as thesheet but at a slower speed, the suction acting on the sheet during aportion at least of the time when it is under the control of the sheetconveying means. v

2. In a sheet delivery mechanism, the combination with gripper mechanismfor engaging the forward end of the sheet and conveying the same, of amember having a perforate surface traversed by the trailing portion of asheet, means to cause suction through the perforate surface of themember upon the sheet to exert restraining tension thereon, and means tomove the perforate member in the same general direction as the sheet butat a slower speed, the suction acting on the sheet during a portion atleast of the time when it is under the control of the gripper mechanism.

3. In a sheet delivery mechanism, the combination with traveling meansfor conveyingthe sheet, of a suction member having a perforated surfacetraversed by the trailing port on of the sheet to exert restrainingtension thereon, and a moving foraminous apron interposed between theperforate suction surface and the sheet, said apron mov- .ing in thesame general direction as the sheet and at a slower speed, the conveyingmeans and the restraining mechanism acting for a time independently andfor a time concurrently upon the sheet.

5. In a sheet delivery mechanism, the combination with traveling meansfor conveying -the sheet, of a suction tube having a perforated surfacetraversed by the trailing portion of the sheet to exert restrainingtension thereon, and a foraminous apron interposedv between theperforate suction surbination with traveling means for conveyingv thesheet, of a suction tube having a perforated surface traversed by thetrailing portion of the sheet to exert restraining tension thereon, anda foraminous cylindrical apron closely enveloping the tube between theperforate suction surface thereon and the sheet, said apron revolvingabout said tube'in the same general direction as the sheet movement, theconveying means and the restraining mechanism acting for a timeindependently and for a time concurrently upon the sheet. v i;-

7. In a sheet delivery mechanism, the combination with traveling meansfor conveying the sheet, of a suction tube having a perforated surfacetraversed by the trailing portion of the sheet to exert restrainingtension thereon, and a fcraminous cylindrical apron closely envelopingthe tube between the perforate suction surface thereon and the sheet,said apron revolving about said tube in the same general vdirection asthe sheet movement and ate. slower speed, the conveying means and therestraining mechanism acting for a time independently 'and'for a timeconcurrently upon the sheet.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CARL HE N DERSON. "Witnesses:

CHAs. J. FRncHE'r'rE, BASIL I. PETERSON.

